The project supports the Government of Ghana in its efforts to improve the protection of vulnerable populations in northern Ghana from the devastating impacts of floods and droughts, and also to ensure that the immediate food needs of the most severely food-insecure households are met. The project aims to improve agriculture, water and land resources; create strategic reserves to protect the nutritional status of at-risk groups (including children under five, pregnant and lactating women and people living with HIV/AIDS); and support the rehabilitation and recovery of agricultural livelihoods. This project contributes to alleviating chronic food security amongst vulnerable groups, targeting and assisting poverty reduction in the most susceptible areas of northern Ghana.

Results as of May 2012 include: the World Food Program (WFP) has distributed food to 327,982 beneficiaries out of the 423,250 planned. In particular, the targets for supplementary feeding of malnourished children under five and pregnant and lactating women are close to being achieved, and will likely be exceeded by the end of the project. The project has already exceeded the targets for the number of beneficiaries on its components Food for Assets (FFA) and Food for Training (FFT), and has reforested some 7,357 ha of land and rehabilitated 250 dams/dugouts.

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It is anticipated that all expected outcomes of increasing equitable access to food aid and prevention of malnutrition, particularly among children under five, pregnant and lactating women, including refugees; as well as to improving food consumption over the assistance period for targeted households, and people living with HIV/AIDS and their families; and increasing the targeted communities equitable access to livelihood assets, including assets for environmental conservation will be achieved.

The project aims to reduce maternal, infant and child mortality in 50 marginalized villages in the north Kintampo and south Bole districts of Ghana by directly addressing key health issues. Reaching approximately 10,000 beneficiaries, the project addresses care during pregnancy and childbirth, neonatal care, and malaria control as critical health concerns in these communities. Key project components include establishing a prenatal and neonatal home visit system for pregnant women and infants, and launching a malaria control program that prioritizes mothers and infants.

Specific activities include: distributing neonatal care kits; training community-based volunteers and local health professionals; providing mosquito nets for all village residents; conducting malaria control workshops; and supplying local clinics with rapid malaria test kits. Ghana Rural Integrated Development is working in partnership with the Northern Empowerment Association to implement this project.

","","10,000 beneficiaries","50 marginalized villages in the north Kintampo and south Bole districts of Ghana","","","","Vulnerable groups","","Insecticide-treated nets to prevent malaria and anaemia in pregnant women>>>Insecticide-treated nets to prevent malaria and anaemia in pregnant women>>http://www.who.int/elena/titles/bednets_malaria_pregnancy","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","English"